The Winnipeg Sea Bears of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) have retained the first right to negotiate with eight members of their 2025 team for the 2026 season.
In the CEBL, all players are on single-season contracts, which means every club must sign its full roster each spring. Free agency for the 2026 season begins on February 1. Each club is granted the right to negotiate with players on their protected list from now until March 1 without interference from other CEBL teams.
Any player left unsigned after that deadline will become a free agent and be able to sign with any CEBL club on March 2.
The Sea Bears protected list consists of:
- Trevon Scott
- Will Richardson
- Emmanuel Akot
- Maurice Calloo
- Simi Shittu
- Nathan Bilamu
- Kyler Filewich
- Jalen Harris
“As we start to look towards the 2026 season, we are excited about the potential for continuity,” said General Manager and Head Coach Mike Raimbault. “We will be building the team with people who want to be in Winnipeg and who are ready to invest into making big things happen on the court and in the community next season.”
Both the players and the club must agree to having a player placed on the team’s protected list.
Source: https://www.seabears.ca/sea-bears-announce-protected-players-list-for-2025-season